Quietus
by cheergirlejami
Summary: An EJami tale with a slightly supernatural twist. EJ DiMera never thought he would lose everything he held dear to his heart, but he has, hasn't he?
1. Chapter 1

**Quietus**

**Prologue**

I can hear her voice calling out to me before I actually see her. She shouldn't be here at this time of night wandering around in the woods, hell I shouldn't be here either, but circumstances as of late have forced me to do things I normally wouldn't have even considered beforehand.

The panic rising within me from just hearing she is close by must be showing on my countenance because this backwoods hillbilly's face that I'm having currently having a heated confrontation with suddenly transforms into something almost sinister. I can sense he wants her to see how far I've sunk in trying to get out of this latest predicament.

Not that I can blame her for what she did months earlier to ensure I'd lose everything that held any remnant of importance to me after what I had done to her. Betrayal can make a person do terrible things, awful things that normally you wouldn't ever consider doing much less act upon.

I had been in her situation a few years ago; being the one who felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me by lies and treachery. The sting of regret is still bitterly sharp of the lengths I had went to make her think her actions had decreed she would be hurt as much as I had been by her deception.

If only our pathway hadn't been littered with such horrific moments in time, the choices our selfish beings had made in moments of anger might not have led us to the depths of despair. I can't stop her from forging on in search of me any more than I can erase the sins of our past, a twisted past that has so intertwined us I'm afraid neither one of us will ever be free from the other.

If only my mind could telepathically tell her to get out of here, to turn around and run away like her life depended on it because I'm afraid in this instance it does. I've got a sinking feeling that won't dissipate and within a few seconds she will find us. Her voice is growing with fear calling out my name and if I yell out in response to tell her to go away it will only make her more determined to find me.

One thing for sure I know as surely as I know my name is how stubborn she can be when she sets her heels in and thinks she is right nothing can sway her from the course she sets. I have always wanted her to seek me out, but now I would give away my entire fortune to ensure she couldn't find me.

This isn't a place she should be.

I silently pray for her to please turn around, go some other way. It isn't happening though as I can hear her footsteps as she tries to navigate her way, twigs are snapping underneath her feet and now I can even hear her cursing. Something she does when she is frustrated, an occurrence which seems to happen when we are both involved.

Of course my prayers won't be heard. If I weren't so frightened for her safety I would laugh because I don't deserve for God to answer anything I request from Him since He never hears from me any other time.

"Seems like your little lady is determined to find you," his voice drips with the unmistakable drawl of another region of the country, one I wished he had never had left. When I find out who is responsible for his presence in our town they will surely pay.

Although now is not the time to be formulating plans of revenge. No, that time will be later.

I finally see her in the clearing, her hair in disarray, her eyes widening in confusion over who she has found with me.

"EJ?"

I hear my name upon her lips before the shots ring out in the night air.

And then she is falling, my beautiful decadent angel looks at me with a combination of shock and bewilderment.

We shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here at all…


	2. Chapter 2

**Quietus**

**Chapter 1**

To have my worst fears come to a stark realization is quite frightening. It's almost like time stops momentarily, and in those few seconds before it truly hits me what has happened I think there is a way out of this hell we've both found ourselves in tonight.

Her legs buckle and before I can reach her to prevent her fall she has hit the rock hard ground, the clouds of dust fly up from where her body had struck it. Then I only have tunnel vision, I could care less if the hillbilly wanna be mobster along with his turncoat accomplice decide to get out of here as quickly as they can, leaving only Samantha and I alone in their wake.

Because all that matters in this space and time is being with the love of my life, the woman who is currently trying to focus on my visage, one that no doubt is full of worry and concern for her. She tries to take a deep breath and fails miserably.

I speak to her with calmness in the tone of my voice that I definitely do not feel. I tell her to try and stay still, to not move, that I will take care of her, for her not to worry about anything because I will call for help. I can barely control the shaking of my hands as I reach inside my suit jacket trying to locate my cell phone.

I almost drop it in my haste to alert anyone to come find us, but luckily it does not fall to the ground. How difficult is it to punch in three simple numbers? My mind draws a blank. What is the number I need to call?

I close my eyes and it comes to me, I need to call 9-1-1. That's the number you call when you need help and if anyone needs help right now it is my wife.

I look at the screen on my phone and want to curse, no signal. If I've ever needed my phone to work it is right now. There is no time to waste and before I lose all patience and begin screaming I see a faint line of a signal. I press the numbers and it feels like it takes forever for the operator to answer my call.

"Please help us, my wife has been shot," I say in a voice that doesn't sound like mine at all. I try to think where we are located exactly and I'm not sure. I can only give a vague description and pray I've given enough information where the paramedics will be able to find us.

The operator tries to keep me on the line, but I tell her I have to go, I have to take care of my wife because she is bleeding. Oh god there is so much blood as I touch her body. How can there be that amount of blood already spilled on the ground?

"Sweetheart, it's okay, I'm here with you," I say trying not to cry, she can't see that I'm afraid. I have to be strong for her, she needs for me to be brave, not to fall apart weeping over the sight of her lying helplessly on the ground, her body contorted in ways it should not be.

"EJ, we're late," her voice falters for a second before she continues "late for the party."

"We can be a few minutes late," I reassure her, saying anything to keep her from realizing exactly what has happened to her.

"The kids?" her face screws up in pain and I hold her hands to keep her from moving around so much, maybe if I can keep her still the blood will stop flowing.

"They are fine; remember Sonny came to pick them up earlier?"

She tries to smile, but it's taking too much effort and she closes her eyes.

"Open your eyes Sweetheart; stay with me," I encourage her.

"I'm tired," she replies as her eyelids flutter.

"I'll get you home soon," I say as I take one hand to touch her neck, trying to feel her pulse which is weakening by the second.

Where in the hell are those paramedics? They should be here by now, shouldn't they?

"I want to go home," she whispers.

"As long as you are with me that is home," I say brokenly.

She tries to focus her eyes on me and nods her head a tiny bit, "You know…"

"Know what Darling?"

"I love you," she says as tears form in her eyes.

"I've loved you from the first time I saw you," I tell her. "I'll never stop loving you. Right now though you need to save your strength, don't talk."

"Cold," she utters, "so cold."

I wrangle out of my jacket so quickly I amaze myself as I drape it over her body that is now shivering.

I finally hear the sirens in the distance, thank goodness they are coming. Hopefully they will be here in a few minutes.

"Sweetheart, help is coming; you just keep holding on to my hand, everything will be all right. I love you so much."

Another ghost of a smile appears on her face as I lean over to kiss her cheek and then I feel her hand slowly losing its grip on mine.

"They are almost here, I can hear them coming," I say as the tears that have been threatening to fall ever since she has been shot finally break the surface and splash upon her face. "Stay with me Sweetheart."

He hears someone call his name, someone he should know because the voice is so familiar, but all he can do is focus on her. He can't let go of her hand even when the paramedics tell him he needs to move aside.

Don't they realize he can't leave her? He's finally gotten her back, he can't let her go.

He just can't…


	3. Chapter 3

**Quietus**

**Chapter 2**

I roll over in bed, the sheets tangle around my legs and in my half awake, half asleep state I try to untangle myself without opening my eyes. My head is pounding as I try to remember what I did last night, my side is hurting like a bitch too for some unknown reason. I decide to reach over to feel for Samantha. I want to snuggle with her, whenever I feel under the weather; she can always make it better if I have her in my arms.

I'm not connecting with her body, surely she isn't already up. Most days I'm the one wide awake awaiting for her to open up her eyes. She tells me it is creepy for me to watch her sleep, but I can't help it. She's the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

She sees her imperfections where I see natural beauty. I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have her in my life. She is my everything. I know now my life truly didn't begin until the moment I met her because from that moment on my life was completely changed.

Reluctantly I open my eyes and she isn't there. Maybe she is in the bathroom getting ready for the day while I've been sleeping away what appears to be most of the morning. When I reach for my watch I see the time is getting close to noon.

How did I oversleep this long? Why didn't Samantha wake me up? I'm usually the morning person out of the two of us, not her, so for me to still be in bed without her is quite puzzling.

There have been days when she would flounce herself on the bed, trying her best to tickle me, but she's no match for me because I usually have her pinned down within seconds, squealing with peals of laughter.

I love laughing with her, maybe it was because we weren't able to laugh for so long and then when we could while it is such a simple gift for some people the laughter was a precious commodity for us. Her laughter is infectious, how could anyone not be affected by her joy when she decides to unleash it?

I decide it is way past time for me to get up from this bed. I push myself up, but for some odd reason the room spins a bit and I have to close my eyes for a few more seconds to get my bearings.

I finally can sit at the edge of the bed after a few more minutes of giving myself a rather small but encouraging pep talk. Am I coming down with the flu or something? I just feel weird, something is off, and it has to be for me to be feeling this way.

My feet finally touch the floor, but as soon as I stand I feel so nauseous that I barely make it to the bathroom in time before I throw up. Each time I think there isn't anything left I feel another wave of nausea hit me and I'm retching again.

This goes on for a while; I'm not sure for how long, but long enough. When I can stand on my own without doubling over I look around the bathroom, noticing how clean and spotless it is which is really out of the norm because most days Samantha either leaves a lipstick or some other kind of makeup lying around on the counter.

Today there is no evidence of my wife leaving something of hers behind in her haste to go onto something else. She gets distracted, mainly by me or one of our children. Guess today it was one of them instead of me.

I splash some water on my face and look up in the mirror wondering why I haven't shaved in a few days. Usually Samantha will let me go a day or possibly two before she asks me to shave, but try as I might I can't remember exactly when I did shave last.

My hair is longer too, something else she usually reminds me to do is cut my hair when it is growing out too long for her liking. Samantha prefers my hair shorter if she has her way about my appearance.

I go to my closet and grab some sweats and a t-shirt, not my normal garb most days, but I'm learning to be more casual with my attire. Maybe if I go outside to get some fresh air whatever this strange feeling is that I have will dissipate.

I amble down the stairs, I don't see anyone, but I can hear voices, apparently a lot of them from the sound of it as I near the bottom of the staircase. I head toward the noise and it eventually leads me to the living room.

I open the door and all conversation ceases when I peer into the room.

There are a lot of people here and when I say a lot I mean for there to be a crowd at the DiMera mansion something big must be happening or has happened. The mixture of people is another thing that is baffling me. Most of the occupants in the room do not socialize together at all ig they can possibly avoid doing so.

I can feel a frown forming because it isn't making much sense to me at all. I finally find my voice to pose the questions, "Did I miss something? What are you all doing here?"

The looks that are immediately exchanged by everyone in the room range from sadness to god forbid it looks like pity.

_What in the hell is going on?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Quietus**

**Chapter 3**

The first person to approach me is none other than Kristen, someone whose presence is not welcome at the moment in the mansion. I really don't think anyone is happy she is back in Salem because quite frankly my sister is even more of a town pariah than I am and that is saying a lot.

The DiMera's beyond the younger generation of Johnny, Sydney and Theo are generally not the family you would want to invite over for Thanksgiving dinner or such since our family has captured the true essence of dysfunction. If you want to see the definition of a fucked up family you have to travel no farther than the monstrosity of the DiMera mansion.

In fact we might make another cool million or so if we held tours of this place although I am not sure Father would approve of anyone checking out the dungeon aka the holding cells or the laboratory in the below ground section of our family home. Add in those underground tunnels for good measure and it could almost be a theme park of the rich and demented.

I'm brought out of my sudden musings of increasing our ever growing fortune of ill gotten gains by Kristen who is taking me by the arm and trying to lead me right into the midst of these people. When I survey the room most of them have either wished me to be incarcerated for the rest of my natural days, dead or attempted to kill me somewhere along the way since I've made my debut in Salem.

To say I'm not the most beloved man is Salem is putting it mildly, but all that doesn't matter because my wife and my children love me and that is all that I need to be happy. Whilst happiness has for the most part been the most elusive thing for me to ever achieve in my life I feel like I've finally grasped the brass ring and I'm holding onto it as tightly as I can.

"EeeJ, come on, quit dragging your feet," Kristen gently prods me to the center of the room while I can feel all eyes on me. I'm usually pretty astute, but I'm still at a loss as to why the conglomeration of people are gathered here.

It's so quiet in the room unlike how it was before I opened the door and asked what was going on. It's like playing I spy and with almost all of the Brady clan present it is quite unnerving to say the least.

Roman, Marlena, Caroline, Eric, Brady, Will, Sonny, Hope along with others like Lucas, Nicole, Daniel and even Rafe Hernandez.

I'm seriously starting to wonder if I've took a hit of acid or some other kind of hallucinogenic drug.

"Kristen, what is going on and why are all of these people here in our home?"

Before Kristen can even begin to give me an explanation, Marlena comes up to me all the while giving Kristen a stare that if looks could kill, my sister would have dropped to the floor within seconds. Samantha's mother and my sister have a mutual hatred for one another so with a frown on her face Kristen lets go of my arm and takes a step back away from me.

"We wanted to talk to you EJ," Marlena spoke with a gentle tone in her voice while she escorted me over to one of the many couches that are in the room and motioned for me to sit down and when I do, she takes a seat right down beside me.

"About what?" I ask feeling more confused than ever, since Marlena is hardly ever nice to me, most times she is so full of disdain for me that it is difficult for her to even speak civilly to me, much less be kind and show any modicum of concern for me.

"I know yesterday was especially difficult for you, well for all of us really in one way or another," Marlena made a gesture around the room with a sweeping motion of her hand. "I realize why it would affect you more so than others, but you have to be strong for your children. They need you."

I would never let my children down; I have fought for my rights to be with them, for them to always know first and foremost no matter what is happening in our lives that I love them unconditionally.

The look of utter confusion must be apparent on my face, but before Marlena can say another word, Roman steps up and gets on the other side of me.

This is weird sitting between the two of them; especially since I'm sure they are not here to give me an award for being the best son in law.

"Roman, what is going on? You, Marlena all the others being here is rather out of the ordinary." I state matter of fact because this isn't normal.

"Son, I miss her too," Roman says with tears in his eyes.

What is happening? First off Roman Brady would never refer to me as son unless it was accompanied by of a bitch following the use of son and secondly why would he be on the verge of tears? He has never shown me any compassion, much less understanding. The man pretty much hates me and has always been trying to find a way to put me in jail or keep them there right off the bat.

"Who do you miss?" I ask as a feeling of dread starts to assail me.

Then the last person I ever expected to see again comes forward and kneels down in front of me, her eyes full of love and concern for me. One of the few people I know that has ever truly loved me despite all my shortcomings in this life.

Alexander takes both of my hands in hers and quietly speaks the name I know she doesn't mean to say to me. "Samantha."

I shake my head in denial because no way is my deceased sister here talking to me she and just said the name of my wife, the woman I would do anything for, I would give my life for Samantha without a second of hesitation on my part. I love Samantha with all my heart and soul. Alexandra can't mean my Samantha is gone.

"EJ, they all miss Samantha," her eyes are also full of unshed tears although I don't know if she is about to cry for me or all the others surrounding us.

I remove my hands from my sister's and arise from the couch, staring at everyone like they've lost their mind. Samantha is not gone, she isn't.

I have to get out of here before I tell them they don't know what they are talking about and they can all to go to hell, well all of them besides Alexander because I'm pretty sure she got a spot in heaven somewhere.

"I'm out of here," is all I say before taking my leave of their unwanted and unsolicited company.

I rush out of the room with a speed that even astounds me, but I'm not staying in that room for another damn second.

Samantha is alive and well, I know it. I would feel it if she were gone, we are a part of each other. We live in each other's hearts.

I'm going to go find my wife right now; nothing is going to stop me from finding her.

Nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Quietus**

**Chapter 4**

I've left the room where I felt like I was some kind of freaky sideshow attraction and decide to head out on my own. I wasn't getting any answers in there, only more questions and that frustrates me beyond belief.

I am a man who is used to taking charge of things. I've always been on the fast track, and I pause momentarily thinking before I came to Salem I actually raced cars, lived dangerously and loved the thrill that came with pushing situations to the uttermost limit.

Another reason I always sought to be around Samantha, she embodies my need to take things beyond the realm of possibility because being with her made anything seem like it could be achievable. She is the other half of me, the reason I came to believe I was more than just being the rich and spoiled son of Stefano DiMera.

Samantha taught me just because I thought I deserved something which was pretty much the norm for me growing up in one of the wealthiest families that didn't necessarily mean I was going to get it. I have never had to work so hard in my life as I have to be with that woman.

Yet even with all the schemes I orchestrated to win over Samantha's affections it took years for us to find true love. There is a huge difference between obsession to have someone in your life and the actual surrender of your own selfish needs to put another person first, to allow them their happiness even if it means you have to let them go to find it without you.

I had some very difficult lessons to learn along the way and I guess you could say I'm a work in progress because there is still so many things I need to figure out, but with Samantha by my side I will find my way. She and the children are the sole reason I will strive to do better each and every day.

Speaking of the children I wonder where they are because I haven't heard their voices. Usually Johnny is teasing his sisters and they are usually trying to outsmart him at his own game. My son has not learned the subtleties of how to deal with women yet, but I am sure my girls are going to make sure he knows there are certain ways to go about things without antagonizing them to the point where they seek retaliation against him.

The children are at such a good age, one where they still have the wonderment of a child without the cynicism that has colored my outlook for so long. My world changed completely when they were born.

Although I would be lying if I said I didn't want any more children, I long to be able to be with Samantha from the conception of a new life we could create together until it is brought into the world. So many things I missed by not being allowed to be a part of her pregnancies, but I can't place all the blame at her feet. Samantha had her reasons as to why I wasn't privy to those special moments, but maybe now that things are different we could share in the experience together instead of me looking on the outside wishing for a chance to belong.

I have so many things I want to do with the rest of my life with Samantha, but suddenly the fatigue and exhaustion I feel overcoming me is enough to make me almost stumble at the bottom of the winding staircase that leads upstairs to our bedroom.

I decide before I can do anything else in my quest to figure out what in the hell is going on that I may need to go lay down for a few minutes. It's like I can't go any further and it's a wonder I actually was able to climb the stairs and make it to our bedroom.

Well as I open the door to the room I share with Samantha, the place where we have shared some of the most honest moments of our lives together, I was hoping she would somehow materialize before me. I just need to speak with her, to hear her voice, to feel her touch because hers is unlike none other to me.

Yet she isn't here, the room is untouched although somehow the bed has been made up and I was sure I had left the bed unmade earlier. I'm usually not one to leave things a mess but I was in a hurry to go find Samantha. Maybe Harold had come into the room to straighten it up during my absence?

I'm too tired to wonder about it for very long. I just need to get to the bed before I hit the floor. Luckily I make it to the bed and sink into its softness even though I don't have enough energy to even pull back the covers. I'll just lie here for a few minutes. I'm positive my energy will return if I can close my eyes and get some rest.

Surely everything will be back to normal when I wake up and this will be like some kind of weird dream I can discuss with Samantha and we can laugh over the absurdity of it. Thinking of her smile and her laughter is the last thing I remember before I drift off into another world.

A world where she is with me and I am with her. Together.


End file.
